Day ninety-five, Igula found Ash still cultivating.
"No wonder others live and die so hard..." Igula said, "Our bodies follow the normal passage of time. We were full of spirit when pulled in, so we still don’t feel tired yet—after all, not even a second has passed in reality, how could we be tired?"
"But not consuming the body doesn’t mean not consuming the soul. Our souls have constantly been enduring high-intensity wear without any recovery, living dead has almost become inevitable. If we really stay here for three years, we’ll probably lose a considerable amount of lifespan."
Ash, who is proficient in the Time Faction, had a deeper understanding of this: "All activities generate Flowing Gold River water, aging is the corrosion of Spiritual Body by Flowing Gold River water. ’Sanctuary’ merely prevents the corrosion of the body, but the corrosion of the soul is unavoidable."
"I’ve solved the problems I can solve here, to make further progress, I need to restore Magic Power to test it." The Swindler asked, "Do you want to continue cultivating?"
"Yes." Ash flicked the sweet words and a hidden dagger sword: "I feel I still have room for improvement."
"You weren’t this diligent before."
"Isn’t this inspired by Tamasi? He’s so dedicated in teaching me, even if it’s to surpass him, I must work hard." Ash laughed, "Instead, it’s you, can’t you stop bullying him?"
"Who am I bullying? Can you prove it? Don’t accuse me wrongly."
Ash suddenly pointed at the Swindler, the Heart Sword wove a warm yellow barrier helmet on the latter’s head, this is the result of Ash’s past few tens of days—Sword Barrier Armor.
Igula was stunned—why put a helmet on me?
Then he saw Ash take out a frying pan used for cooking outdoors from the Space Card.
"Refuting, right? Proof, right? Wrong accusations, right?"
With each question, Ash heavily tapped him with the pan, the sound of the pan bottom clashing with the helmet echoed. Igula couldn’t dodge it, he was just a backline Swindler, how could he avoid the Cult Leader trained by the Black Crow?
"Alright." Igula reluctantly agreed, "I won’t trouble him in the future."
Actually, even without Ash mentioning it, Igula wouldn’t continue to enchant the Black Crow. Firstly, their life and death depended on each other in the Dead City, plus the Black Crow made significant contributions by replicating the ’Zero Hourglass’ pattern, the Swindler owed him; secondly, even the secret of ’Lord Senluo choosing Divine Era Great Skill’ couldn’t crush Tamasi, Igula felt he could no longer destroy this Black Crow through ordinary means.
"Then perform psychological treatment on him," Ash took a mile after an inch, "Just like you’ve been leading him to degeneration these days, guide him back to the right path."
"I can’t train birds." Igula replied, "If the crow has psychological issues, just let him eat more corpses."
Seeing Ash raised the frying pan again, Igula rolled his eyes, "Do you think I’m brushing you off? Tamasi is already mentally determined, maybe he’s almost recovered, when his defenses dropped it was merely because he learned too much information at once... let him kill more evildoers, he’ll naturally find meaning in life from the killing again."
Ash thought probably so too, then put away the frying pan, "Then... good night."
"Sleep early, good night."
As Igula lay down, Ash cultivated on the high platform where they slept.
Day ninety-six, Ash practiced swordsmanship.
Day ninety-seven, Ash practiced agility, parkour on rooftops.
Day ninety-eight, Ash found a building, carved all the intelligence records they found on the building’s outer walls. Although key intelligence was missing, it at least saves some effort for those who come later.
Ash sat on the edge of the high platform, gazing upon the entirety of the Dead City.
The night was ink-like, all was silent, as if only he remained between heaven and earth.
After sitting for six hours, he patted his butt, stood up, walked beside Igula.
Saying this, their sleeping postures were indeed peculiar: the Black Crow curled up, Harvey squashed in the coffin, Qikara lay spread-eagle, only Gwen and Igula were somewhat normal.
Ash gently lay on the cold floor, exhaled a long breath, touched the hourglass pattern on the back of his left hand with his right hand, his body completely still.
One second, two seconds, fifteen seconds, a minute... five minutes... ten minutes.
At ten minutes, Ash suddenly spread his wings and took flight, swiftly inspecting all nearby buildings. After circling around, he returned to the high platform, lay down, and stretched.
Dazed for a while, he suddenly drew the sweet words and hidden dagger sword, placed it next to his hand, then activated the Zero Hourglass, falling into Spiritual Body silence.
Half an hour later, Weiser cautiously crept up the Tower, poking her head to observe. Even knowing none would wake due to external forces, she still tiptoed to Ash’s side.
She carefully observed Ash’s sleeping face, as if this was her first time watching a whole person up close. His lips are a little thin, his nose yet unheard, lashes somewhat long, brows untrimmed... just an ordinary person. How strange, he seemed so ordinary, yet why...?
She looked at the sweet words and hidden dagger sword by Ash’s hand, extended to touch the hilt, then retracted as if shocked. Although her right hand injury had healed, touching this sword made the Black Crow’s voice echo in her mind again, causing her hand to ache.
You don’t deserve it.
Weiser stood up, found the Black Crow, even knowing it’s pointless, still stomped hard on his head several times.
Then returned to lie beside Ash, turned her body, staring at the sleeping man.
"Actually, I learned how to make La La Fémé dishes."
Weiser quietly said, "I’ve studied your favorite games, pondered the women you liked, tried everything you were interested in."
"I actually feel we still have a chance, but I know better than anyone we have no future."
She sat up, gazed at the lightless night sky.
"It’s not supposed to be ," Weiser said, "but it can only be ."
She raised her hand, grasping the sweet words and hidden dagger sword’s hilt beside her. Her obsession with this sword was merely to take it as a memento, or perhaps to pray for non-existent companionship from the leftover warmth on it.
But that nonexistent pain in her palm still strongly speaks an undeniable truth.
"Perhaps I’m unworthy." Weiser took a deep breath, released her hand, raised her chin, lifted her head, "What’s the big deal, it’s all an illusion anyway."
She bent down, gently kissed Ash’s forehead. A crystal drop fell from the corner of her eye, frozen in time.
As sunlight squeezed through his eyelids, Ash’s first response was: raining? Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel fire.net
He sat up, wiped his slightly damp cheek, then immediately grabbed the long sword and spread his wings to take flight—he wasn’t the only one, other mages waking up also immediately soared high, even the Black Crow jumped and clung onto Ash’s back!
Before sleeping, they had discussed about the Four Pillars God Sect—the camp is just outside the Dead City! If luck is on their side, the Four Pillars God Sect finds them straight away at dawn, waking them means they can let the sect experience ten minutes of invincibility courtesy of the ’Zero Hourglass,’ like waking up with ’morning anger.’
If luck isn’t on their side, and the sect hasn’t found them, they’ll have to charge through the Four Pillars God Sect’s camp during invincible time!
But when they flew and looked towards the sect’s camp, they only saw a burning camp.
Harvey gazed at the camp for five seconds, not knowing what Miracle he used, he said, "There are no living there, though quite a few corpses."
Everyone fell silent, knowing whose handiwork it was.
"Igula, Harvey." Ash suddenly asked, "How do you feel?"
Both were startled, then realized what he was asking, carefully sensed, and said, "The Bloodline Curse is gone." "Same here."
"That’s good." Ash sighed with relief, "The only problem left to solve is my Half-Touch identity... since that’s the case..."
"Let’s find a way to escape Senluo."